Eliminating the Pain in Life (Teachings to Change Lives)

దుఃఖము - నివృత్తి

As humans we experience both difficulties and pleasures in our lives. We might want the pleasures and this is natural. We might have the required past good deeds to qualify for this. But we do not have any right to reject the difficulties of life. Because these difficulties are the product of our past deeds and we cannot escape from this whirlpool. But we can adapt to these difficult circumstances and this power we can certainly acquire. This is what Sabhuri means (patience), which always was emphasized by Baba. 

Whenever we have Sadguru’s blessings the intensity of these difficulties in our lives will decrease in intensity. Baba will give us the energy to face these so called difficulties. But Baba went another step forward and taught us a way where we do not have to even suffer the consequences of these past deeds that is called Karma rahitya (free from the effects of our actions). Baba gave us these instructions through a funny sequence which was described in Sai Satcharita as Grains story related to Hemadpant.   

  

We got used to materialistic pleasures so much and we lost track of our own destiny. Whoever is a slave to senses cannot achieve the ultimate goal of human life that is self- realization.  The (scriptures) Shrutis proclaim: “Yada Panchava Tishtanthe ” i.e. when all the five senses and the intellect become steady it is considered the highest state of Yoga. That was emphasized by Baba, through this joke. This can change our lives if we can grasp the inner meaning behind the story.

Grains Story:

Once Hemadpant was massaging Baba’s feet and doing his service (seva). At that moment Shyama laughed and remarked: “What Annasaheb! What are these grains here which seem to be stuck? ” Saying so, Shyama touched the sleeve of the coat with his fingers, when from the folds of the coat, grains were found. How did the grains come to be stuck to the coat?  Everybody was wondering how these grains came there.

Then Baba said: “He has a bad habit – that of liking to eat alone. Taking advantage of the market day, he came rubbing the grams in his palms (to take off the skin). It is not good to eat alone. But I know his habit. These grams give the proof. What is there to be surprised about? ”.

 Then Hemadpant said: “Baba, till this day, I have not seen the Shirdi bazaar. If I went there, I could buy the grams. And the question of eating them would arise only later. I never eat anything without sharing it with someone who so ever has this liking may do so, but this is not my habit”.

Now observe Baba’s skill. How he made devotion firmer to himself! Hear with attention, to what he said after listening to my clear denial.

Baba then said; “You share the food with whosoever is near you. But what do you do, when you are alone? What can I also do? Do you remember me? Am I not beside you? Do you offer me a morsel? ”

Meaning behind the story:

To enjoy anything in this world, either it is food or some other object we need our senses, mind and intellect. All Baba saying here is to think about him before we enjoy anything. Lot of people has the habit of praying to God before they eat. This practice is good but Baba did not stop there. He extends this principle to all sorts of actions. This is an excellent tool to achieve our goals and avoid the suffering in our lives. Thus he made the grams a mere pretext and deeply impressed upon this principle. Eating food without offering to gods, the five ‘pranas’, the fire and defrauding them of it or without offering to all deities made by presenting oblations to the fire before meals, or without offering it to the unexpected guest makes the food highly impure.

In principle, this appears insignificant. But its application in daily life is very important. Enjoying the flavor of the food is not the only implication – all the five senses and other enjoyments are included. One who panders to his senses can never hope to achieve spiritual progress. He who has a tight control over the senses alone can succeed.

Then we have more control over our senses and then we can use our mind & intellect in a meaningful way. When we start surrendering our actions even major sins, we lose our bad qualities. Our personality attains some kind of purity. Our love towards Guru will reach to new heights. Then Guru’s blessings will shower us. We lose the (Dwaita Bhavana) duality of life realizing that we are the ultimate universal energy. Whoever sees the difference between Guru and God cannot achieve this goal. So we need to strongly believe that there is no difference between Guru and God.

Let us listen to this in Baba’s words:

  

Before the mind, the intellect and other senses enjoy these objects; remember me first so that they become an offering to me.

The senses can never remain without their objects; but if these objects are first offered to the Guru, the attachment for them will naturally vanish.

If you desire anything, desire me only! If you are angry vent your anger on me only! Offer me your pride and stubbornness. Be devoted only to me.

 Whenever desire, anger, pride arise strongly make me the object towards which to direct them.

In this way, one by one, the Lord will help you in eradicating all the ‘Vrittis’. The Lord will certainly calm the strong waves of these three venomous qualities.

In fact, this disturbed mental state would be absorbed in my form or would become one with me. A state of peace will be yours at my feet”. If you practice this, desires will become weak, on their own, and with the passage of time desires will be destroyed from their very roots. The mind will be free from all such tendencies.

Knowing and believing that the Guru is close by such a person would never be disturbed by such tendencies. Once such a good habit takes firm root, the bondage of the world will loosen. The Guru’s form will be seen in every desirable object. Thus desire itself becomes the form of the Guru.

If there is the slightest desire for the enjoyment of these objects; and you think that Baba is close by, the question whether the object is fit to be enjoyed or not will at once arise. The object that is not fit to be enjoyed will be easily shunned. In this way, the devotee’s vicious addictions will disappear and an aversion towards the undesirable will develop.

He will be ready to obey the rules for the control of the senses, as mainly stated in theVedas. Then, the enjoyment of the objects will be as per the rules and there will be no indiscriminate indulgence. When such a habit is developed, the thoughts about enjoyment of the sense objects are weakened. The desire for the worship of the Guru arises and pure knowledge will sprout. When pure knowledge grows, the bondage of body-consciousness will break and the intellect will be merged in spirit consciousness, leading to infinite bliss. Even though the body is perishable, it is a means towards gaining enlightenment, which is really more desirable than salvation, because through it, we can experience ‘bhakti’. This fifth rung of gaining enlightenment is superior to the other four ‘kama, artha, dharma and moksha’. They cannot be compared to ‘bhakti’. Invaluable are the gains of ‘bhakti’.

One who achieves fulfillment by serving the Guru can fully understand the implication of this statement. He alone will achieve enlightenment by understanding the inherent meaning of ‘bhakti’, knowledge and detachment. One who thinks of the Guru as different from God is like a man reading the whole Bhagavat without realizing who God is.

 Desire for the objects of senses will be destroyed from the root when you serve the Guru, with a pure heart.

The mind will become pure and sinless and your Self will manifest with effulgence.

Ultimate essence:

This story expands our horizons and if we can follow these principles in our daily life; we will become pure in our heart. Then we will be saved by our Guru from this life death cycle.

Let us concentrate on it. ‘Do not enjoy any object with any of our five senses without first remembering Baba’. When the mind is trained in this way, we will be always reminded of him. The attention will be at Sai’s feet in all transactions.

That Incarnation of Pure Brahman will ever remain before the eyes and then devotion, liberation and non-attachment would arise.

Salvation will be achieved. When this beautiful form is fixed before our mental vision, we forget hunger, thirst and the mundane existence.

The consciousness of worldly pleasures will disappear and our mind will attain peace. 

This funny sequence from Sai Satcharita will change our lives if we can grasp this principle that Baba wanted us to learn and apply in our daily life. Let us pray to Baba to give us the strength to acquire this particular skill and adapt this principle. Let his blessings come to us forever.

OM SAI RAM!